The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-11
Tho Bloody Beginning of Coercion.

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Tho Bloody Beginning Of Coercion.
After tho work done at Mitchelstown on
Friday the Tory Ministers are likely to need
the full attendance OF their followers next
Monday IN tho House Of Commons. To de-
fend the prohibition Of the political meeting
at Ennis would have been nrduous enough,
but TO justify the summary dispersion OF
peaceful aud unprecedented assemblage at
Mitchelstown and the wanton shedding OF
Innocent blood by the agents OF the Govern
ment, should tax the brazen assurance even
of tho authors OF the Crimes act. Never
theless, II we may judge from the comments
Iof Tory newspapers upon the outrage. IL
Ia likely to be glozed over by the fascinating
majority In Parliament. But, happily, the
eyes OF British Liberals whose veracity cam
mot DO questioned were fixed on the pro-
Scccdinga and therefore, no matter what
mendacious reports are cooked up TO avert
q crisis I'm tho House Of Commons, the whole
|uely truth will this time be spread before the
English people.
OF the various telegraphed accounts OF tho
Banguinary scene at Mltchelstown, IL seems
that most credence belongs to that given by
the Tribune correspondent. who was an eye
witness from a standpoint OF advantage
by tho side Of three British members OF
Parliament, Mcssrs. LABoUcHEHE, BRuN-
uER, and ELLIS, who will DO able TO
confirm his testimony. Accepting this evil
dence as the most trustworthy, no unbiased
man can fail to see In the facts higf-handed
and brutal wrong which, II perpetrated In Bull
garia or Poland. would have provoked IN
outcry of wrath and horror from an English
community. Let us rocapltulate the facts
in order to appreciate the blow which has
been recklessly or deliberately struck at the
lives as well rs liberties Of citizens OF Ireland.
The crusade against the freedom OF the
press, permitted by tho Crimes act, was to
hive boen begun on Friday ut the Mitchels-
town Court by tho prosecution OF the we'll
known Irish patriot, Mr.. WILLIAM OBR1EN,
against whom, should he disregard the sum-
mons to attend 1t was known that an order
OF arrest would be issued. On that day
large delegations OF tenant farmers from
the surrounding districts led by their parish
priests, had assembled in the market place
rs even under the regime OF coercion they
had right to do, in the absence OF specific
prohibition-to protest against the shame
less perversion OF law ostensibly levelled
against crime, 10 political persecution. Tho
meeting was to be addressed by English and
Irish members Of Parliament, and was pro-
ceedlng In an orderly manner when 1t was
suddenly disturbed. not by any official order
to dispense, much less by any reading OF the
riot act-neither then nor afterward was
this formality complied Without by an I'M
provoked assault from tho police. who, on
tho pretext Of making room for Govern
inent reporter, began to savagely club their
way through the crowd. Naturally tho be-
labored citizens endeavored to ward of the
clubs with their walking sticks, which. being
OF seasoned plackthorn. are in tho hands OF
Irishmen 10 ineffective weapons Of defence.
4 In tho ensuing melee tho police were
worstet and fed to their barracks, where
Mr.. DILLON. who, with two priests. had fol-
lowed to prevent further violence, found
them entirely disorganized, and wrought by
: panic to tho pitch of homicidal frenzy. II
we compare tho testimony OF Mr. DILLON,
who was inside the building, with that OF Mr..
GILL, who was outside, we can scarcely ad-
NIT . doubt that from the barrack
windows were fired the shots that
killed two Of the Queens uhofending
subjects and wounded several. This
although precautions had been taken by Mr..
DILLON to keep his friends away from the
adjacent square, In which at the time Of the
firing there were only few scattered by
ISLANDERS drawn thither by curiosity. We
have only to add that the Inspector Of Police
refused Mr.. LABoUoHKRE's request to ascer-
tain which of his men were chargeable with
the fatal shots, thus assuming for the force
and its officers collectively tho whole respon-
elbility for the murders done.
That Is fell responsibility. whose load no
Government can long sustain in England,
where Q far lighter outrage on the rights OF
freemen would wreck tho firmest Ministry,
lit did not shake the throne. For this time
British Liberals were onlookers when the
blood Of Ireland was spilled, and they will
tell the voters Of Great Britain what kind OF
Justice Is dealt out by the so-called Unionists
to their Irish fellow subjects.